No Problem With Double Duty for West Virginia Quarterback David Sills

Kevin Kinder

04/11/2016

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - For many West Virginia football fans, and for many of the media covering the team, it's a simple decision. David Sills should concentrate on wide receiver. That ignores, however, the larger issue of a player pursuing his chosen path, not to mention the possibility of unforeseen outcomes.

From the outside, it seems clear cut. David Sills, although he came to West Virginia as a quarterback, shows more promise right now as a wide receiver, even given his modest 2015 statistics of seven catches for 131 yards and two scores. The fact that his two TDs came 1) in his first appearance at wideout, and 2) for the game winner in the Cactus Bowl, contributes to some of that excitement level, but it's not just hype that has him the subject of many targets during WVU's first two open practice sessions of the spring. It's clear that he's in WVU's plans, especially given the absence of Jovan Durante due to another suspension and the continued struggles of some wideouts to catch the ball consistently.

The bigger question, though, is that put to Sills himself. Does he see himself as a wide receiver, or as a quarterback? His answers, detailed in the video above, clearly lean toward the latter, although he is still getting the vast majority of his live 11-on-11 work at the former.

Of further interest: Should that be his choice? Or should he be allowed to pursue his dream, which is clearly that of being a Division I QB? Again, opinions are going to vary based on perspective – fan, media, or otherwise. For now, the split time and usage doesn't appear to be a problem. Sills said that he believes he can handle work at both spots – that it will simply take more time and effort on his part. He is realistic about the long view, and admits that work on his awkward throwing motion is still a work in progress, but he holds, at least publicly, that he can help the team at wide receiver while still chasing his long term goal behind center.

As of now, there shouldn't be a rush to make him choose one over the other. The transfer of former Florida quarterback Will Grier to WVU sealed the decision for many – Sills should abandon his QB dreams immediately. That, however, could turn out to be a mistake. There's no guarantee that Grier will win the job in 2017, although he certainly will come to WVU with a great resume. Perhaps Sills nails down the changes needed to produce a better ball and becomes a factor in the QB derby. There's simply no predicting how that will turn out, even though there are favorites and underdogs at the moment. As long as Sills is able to assimilate the lessons to make him a better wide receiver, there probably isn't much sense in forcing him to choose one position over the other.